Beloved
by 101Witch101
Summary: Hades had been called many things, but never had anyone ever called him "my Beloved".  Never had anyone caressed his check with affection. Never had anyone looked at him with adoration. Never. But then Persephone came…
1. Chapter 1

Hades knew he was not welcome anywhere outside of his realm. He also knew the consequences. He didn't care.

Breathing in the sweet scent of a warm summer day, hearing the song of the birds, and seeing the buds blossom into flowers, his heart began to ache. He didn't have this back home. He didn't know what it felt to have the sun bathe you with warmth, nor did he know what it felt to see light without the assistance of a candle. He didn't even know what grass felt like between your toes.

This is not to say he hated the Underworld.

On the contrary; he loved the Underworld. He loved giving justice to the good and to the wicked. On earth, everyone was divided by wealth, power, and beauty. In his realm, people were divided by the contents of their hearts. The Underworld was, perhaps, the only place that justice never wavered. Unlike the mortal judges and politicians, one could not simply _bribe_ Hades. You could not simply _win_ his affection, for affection is not something to be won; it's something to be earned.

Being the Lord of the Dead also had its perks. His initial job in the Underworld was to serve justice and in order to do such an impossible feat, the Fates had graciously bestowed upon him the power to perceive the heart and soul. Whenever a soul entered the Underworld, Hades had only to look at it and would know everything. The shame, the pain, the love, the sins. Everything that had happened during its life—with only one glance. No conversation was need, no prying, and no court system. Just one look from Hades.

However, while the world was corrupt it was still beautiful. And while the Underworld was just, it was ugly—almost vulgar. It wasn't his fault that the Underworld had grown rather distasteful in the past millennia. Evil simply outweighed good. While Tartarus was overflowing with countless souls being forever tortured for their crimes on Earth, the Fields of Elysium were close to empty. Having to constantly expand his domain to suit the purpose of more torture chambers did not reflect Hades personality—it reflected the mortals'.

Hades drew a painful sigh. The mortals (and even the gods who should know better) all mocked him and went as far as to say that he was the most cold and evil of all the gods, who delighted in giving pain and seeing others suffer.

But Hades was not a god to wallow in self pity. Leaning against a nearby tree, he made himself become invisible and tried his best to absorb the moment, for he knew he could not stay here long.

Just then, Persephone, daughter of the mighty Zeus and the fair Demeter, came frolicking through the waist-high flowers, dressed in her most radiant white robe with a smile on her child-like face. She could not see Hades, for he was under his helmet of invincibility. She had always been under the ever carful watch of her mother, Demeter, and though she loved her mother dearly, having freedom and a moment to herself was just as glorious as being with her. Her mother was now restoring a part of Greece that had been a waste land so that the mortals could finally use the soil for agriculture. Persephone had taken advantage of the few moments to come to her favorite spot in the whole world—a secret meadow that her mother had made just for her.

Cupid had been waiting for this moment. Crouched in his rather awkward and painful position in a high tree branch, he notched one of his golden tipped arrows into the string of his bow, took aim, and released. The Arrow of Cupid sailed so quickly through the air that it was impossible to see it without his trained eyes. The young god watched with growing anxiety as the arrow made its way right into Hades' heart.

Eros smiled when he saw Hades' eyes suddenly fill with an unquestionable look of love. His work here was done. Gathering up his remaining arrows and trusty bow, he flew away, content with himself that he had finally given Hades a woman worthy of his heart.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of why his heart suddenly felt tight, Hades gazed at the maiden with golden hair and realized at that moment he didn't care that the gods hated him. He didn't care that he was mocked and considered evil. All he was suddenly aware of was his sudden desire to be near this stranger. His heart began to ache with the growing need to the point he thought he was suffocating.

Hades, who was one of the few gifted to perceive the contents of the heart, had looked into the soul of the maiden dancing within only a arms reach away from where he stood. He could see instantly that she had a good soul. A clean, pure soul. Innocent of all evil. She had a tremendous sense of humility, obedience, and most of all (something he hadn't seen in centuries) kindness.

And so, the Supreme Lord of the Dead fell in love with the Goddess of Spring.


	2. Chapter 2

Persephone had never known darkness.

Of course, she was familiar with night. She was familiar with its cool beauty, familiar with its bright stars and moon that twinkled in its wake. She was familiar with its sounds of owls and crickets, the smell it had. It was the _total_ darkness she couldn't comprehend nor cared to. A night with no stars? No beauty, no sounds? No smell? In her mind, it was inconceivable.

But her young heart did not linger on such thoughts. And together with the nymphs, whom she considered to be her sisters, she danced in the wheat fields, spreading out her arms with laughter bubbling in her chest. She sang to the creatures that flocked to behold her beauty while she plaited flowers into her hair. She took care of and nurtured the earth and flowers and trees, along with her mother's guidance. And once she had rested peacefully in the gardens, lying next to all she loved, she would arise again in the wake of the sun, ready to begin the routine once more. Thoughts of unhappiness (or those living in unhappiness) were nonexistent.

And then came Hades.

"Oh," she muttered with wide eyes upon seeing the tall, dark stranger. Embarrassed that he should catch her in a plain dress, with her hair running wild, she averted her gaze, taking a sudden interest in the curves of her bare feet. "I beg your pardon my lord…" she added lamely.

He took one, then two hesitant steps towards the young maiden which was enough to place him directly in front of her.

"Your name, young one?" His voice was strangely warm for one who seemed to have the mists of the valley cling to him.

She raised her eyes to meet his.

In centuries to come, Persephone would always remember that what she first noticed about Hades were his eyes. So dark and deep they were, so full of pain and sadness. But there was something else residing in them, something she couldn't quite understand at the time.

"Persephone, my lord," finally came her response as she gave a quick curtsey and a bow of the head.

Hades felt his insides clench. _She's the child of Demeter and Zeus..._

A dim memory surfaced upon hearing her name, a memory that had formed when he was invited to attend the wedding of Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Through the entirety of the ceremony, and even during the overly-merry celebrations that lasted weeks, he had secluded himself to a corner, as he always did at any of these gatherings, taking with him only a glass of wine and his thoughts.

During the frivolous dancing, when many drunken friends of Aphrodite had grabbed his hands in a failed attempt to drag him into the crowd to dance, he had overheard a rather interesting conversation between Zeus and Demeter…

"_Come, come, Demeter, surely you shall allow Persephone a husband? How else will she be provided for?"_

Perhaps seeing Aphrodite being married off had made Zeus remember that he had another daughter who was also at the perfect marrying age.

"_And how do you think she's been living all these decades, fool? I have and always will be here for my daughter! No need for her to experience the foolishness only men can offer!" _

He hadn't heard the rest of the conversation, but he had learned all he needed to: Demeter would never consent to marrying off Persephone; she had even defied the Lord of the Gods himself in order to keep her daughter near her.

Persephone noticed how the handsome stranger's eyes clouded with defeat upon hearing her name. She was overcome with some odd level of guilt and felt the need to apologize for anything she had done to upset him; however, just as she was trying to form her feelings and apology into words, she heard her mother calling her.

"_Persephone! Where are you, darling?" _

"I'm sorry, my lord" she said, as she began to walk away from him and in the direction of her mother's voice. "My mother calls and she'll wonder where I am; I must depart from—"

All too suddenly the earth rumbled and split right beneath her, tearing apart the valley she so loved, leaving only a terribly dark, gaping hole right under her feet. She screamed as she began her descent, and continued screaming even when she felt the strong arms of the dark stranger protectively encase her. Her screams echoed across what she would later learn to be the Underworld when, looking upward, past the shoulder of her kidnapper, she saw the crevice begin to close itself, sealing her in and sealing the daylight out.

She screamed even as her voice began to run dry, and tears streamed down her cheeks, her hands pounding against the chest of her perpetrator.

And as they finally reached their descent, her fresh tears still wet on her cheeks, she looked here and there and upon seeing only a night that had no moon, no stars, and instead the cries of agony from the lost souls being tortured she screamed again.

After all, Persephone had never known darkness.


End file.
